Traction mat system and a method of manufacturing thereof

ABSTRACT

A traction mat system and a method of manufacturing comprising a mat having a grip layer adhered to or mate integral to the surface of the mat. The grip layer can be a textured material foil sheet combined to a top surface and/or a bottom surface of the mat system. The texture of the grip layer is retained when the mat is contoured with a raised pattern to give the entire surface of the mat a texture to improve traction and grip. A method of manufacturing comprises a traction mat system wherein the traction mat can comprise of manufacturing step for placing a grip layer on the mat surfaces, for placing the foil sheet and/or aggregate on the mat. Each operation can be performed for both surfaces simultaneously or can be its own operation such as one surface at a time, or both surfaces at once.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/782,104 filed Dec. 19, 2018.The U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/782,104 is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present specification relates to a mat system, more particularly ananti-skid mat system for providing traction to vehicles and constructionequipment.

BACKGROUND

Constructions sites, oil and drilling operations and other industrialsites typically involve a significant amount of activity involvingvehicles, construction equipment and other support equipment. To providea smooth, clean, all-weather working condition, all year round, overenvironmental sensitive areas, or areas that would typically be hard fordriving, a construction mat is typically laid down on the area forproviding support to the construction vehicles. Typically, these typesof areas are in wet areas such as bogs, wetlands, or fens whereconstruction vehicles can become stuck without a solid, clean drivingsurface. Since, the areas are wet or can become wet during operations aconstruction mat with good traction for the vehicles is needed.

Current mats such as that provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,257 provide asurface with raised portions on the mats that allow the tire to griponto. The conventional mat system comprises traction promoting elementssuch as raised strips extending outwardly from the planar surface. Thistype of mat only provides limited traction due to the surface stillbeing slick on both the mat surface and the raised strips. For example,the traction promoting elements give the mat a contour that improvestire grip, but the contours themselves remain a smooth, uniform surfacethat can become slick when the mat is wet or exposed to dust or otherparticles which are frequently present at a work site. In addition,these elements eventually wear out under the pressure of the vehicle andonly provide limited traction on the mat surface once worn out causingan even slicker surface for the trucks to drive over.

It would be advantageous to provide traction mat system that providestraction elements over the entire surface of the mat system, and thatallows construction vehicles to safely and efficiently drive over areasthat are wet that could otherwise become stuck, or to protectenvironmental areas from heavy construction equipment.

SUMMARY

A traction mat system comprising a mat contoured with at least oneraised pattern on at least one surface of the mat and a grip layer on atleast one of the at least one surface. The at least one surface can be abottom surface or a top surface. The grip layer can be a texturedmaterial foil sheet or it can be an aggregate material wherein theaggregate material can be pressed into at least one surface of the mat.The mat can have a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the topsurface and the bottom surface can be mirror copies of each other. Thegrip layer can be the same material as the mat. The mat can be composedof a mat material and wherein the aggregate material can be at least oneof the same as the mat material, or it can be a high strength plasticparticle, or metal particles. The texture of the grip layer is retainedwhen the mat is contoured with a raised pattern to give the entiresurface of the mat a texture to improve traction and grip.

In other embodiments, the grip layer may be an aggregate materialwherein the aggregate material can be pressed into the mat's top surfaceand the mat's bottom surface. The aggregate material can be the same asthe mat material, such as a high a strength plastic material, or agranular element such as silica, metal, or other particles known bythose having skill in the art. In yet another embodiment, the aggregatematerial can be placed between the mat surface and a textured ornon-textured foil sheet that can be combined with the mat material totrap the aggregate between the mat surface, and the foil sheet.

Aspects disclosed herein comprise a method of manufacturing a tractionmat system comprising providing a stand connected to a press by at leastone support and moving a trolley that supports at least one mold havinga raised pattern between the stand and beneath the press. Placing a matmaterial in the mold. Placing a grip layer composed of at least one of afoil sheets and an aggregate layer over the mat. Pressing the press tothe mold forming the foil sheet or aggregate material onto the matmaterial. The traction mat system can further comprise a second moldattached to the press. Wherein the grip layer is placed over a surfaceof the mat and a second grip layer is placed over a second surface ofthe mat.

Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are describedbelow in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Unlessspecifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in thespecification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, andaccustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts.The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographersif desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers,to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specificationand claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further,expressly set forth the Absent such clear statements of intent to applya “special” definition, it is the inventor's intent and desire that thesimple, plain, and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to theinterpretation of the specification and claims.

The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar.Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be furthercharacterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term,or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptiveterms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts ofEnglish grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms,or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases begiven their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in theapplicable arts as set forth above.

Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards andapplication of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Thus, theuse of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the DetailedDescription or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended tosomehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C.§ 112 (f), to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisionsof 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are sought to be invoked to define theinventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exactphrases “means for” or “step for”, and will also recite the word“function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function ofmolding a fishing lure, without also reciting in such phrases anystructure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even whenthe claims recite a “means for performing the function of molding afishing lure, step for performing the function of molding a fishinglure,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts insupport of that means or step, or that perform the recited function,then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Moreover, even if the provisions of35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it isintended that the inventions not be limited only to the specificstructure, material or acts that are described in the preferredembodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materialsor acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternativeembodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present orlater-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performingthe claimed function.

Additional features and advantages of the present specification willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the illustrative embodimentexemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presentlyperceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentspecification will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1a is an isometric view of a traction mat system and a method ofmanufacturing thereof in accordance to one, or more embodiments;

FIG. 1b is a side view of a traction mat system and a method ofmanufacturing thereof in accordance to one, or more embodiments;

FIG. 2a is a side view of an additional embodiment of traction matsystem and a method of manufacturing thereof in accordance to one, ormore embodiments;

FIG. 2b is a side view of an additional embodiments of traction matsystem and a method of manufacturing thereof in accordance to one, ormore embodiments;

FIG. 3A—3F is an isometric view of example embodiments of traction matsystem and a method of manufacturing thereof in accordance to one, ormore embodiments;

FIG. 4A-4D is an isometric view of an example embodiments of tractionmat system and a method of manufacturing thereof in accordance to one,or more embodiments;

FIG. 5A-5D is an example of materials and surface types that can be usedin a traction mat system in accordance to one, or more embodiments; and

FIG. 6 is a method for manufacturing a traction mat system in accordanceto one, or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, and for the purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the various aspects of the invention. It will beunderstood, however, by those skilled in the relevant arts, that thepresent invention may be practiced without these specific details. Inother instances, known structures and devices are shown or discussedmore generally in order to avoid obscuring the invention. In many cases,a description of the operation is sufficient to enable one to implementthe various forms of the invention, particularly when the operation isto be implemented in software. It should be noted that there are manydifferent and alternative configurations, devices and technologies towhich the disclosed inventions may be applied. The full scope of theinventions is not limited to the examples that are described below.

Referring to FIG. 1a-1b , a traction mat system and a method ofmanufacturing comprising a mat 18 having a grip layer adhered to or madeintegral to the mat. The grip layer may be a foil sheet 22, 40 combinedto a surface (not shown) of the mat 18. In one embodiment, the mat 18can be comprised of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a hard plastic, orany other material known by those having skill in the art. The surface(not shown) can be a top surface and/or a bottom surface, and thesurfaces can be mirror copies of each other wherein the top surface canbe the same as the bottom surface. In other embodiments, the mat's 18top and bottom surface (not shown) can vary in texture and surfaceproperties wherein the texture can vary in surface patterns as shown inFIG. 5. The grip layer may comprise a foil sheet 22, 40 of a texturedmaterial that can be a solid textured material for adding traction tothe top surface and/or bottom surface of the mat 18. The foil sheet cancomprise, for example, high-density polyethylene, low-densitypolyethylene, plastics, metals or the like. In particular embodiments,the foil sheet can be made of the same material as the mat. In anotherembodiment, a textured layer may be poured or sprayed over the matmaterial to adhere to the mat and give added texture to the mat as shownin FIG. 2 a.

The grip layer can be a sheet of material with plastics or metalsembedded into it, and then can be compressed onto the mat's 18 surfaces.In other embodiments, the grip layer using the foil sheet 22, 40 can bereplaced with an aggregate material wherein the aggregate material 104can be spread across the surface of the mat and depressed into the mat'stop surface and/or the mat's bottom surface as shown in FIG. 2a-2b . Incertain embodiments, the aggregate material 104 can be omitted fromeither the top surface or bottom surface. The aggregate material 104 canbe high a strength plastic or a granular element such as high-densitypolyethylene, low-density polyethylene, sand, wire, rubber, steel cords,or the like. In yet another embodiment, the aggregate material 104 canbe placed between the mat's top surface and the mat's bottom surface andthen a foil sheet 22, 40 can be combined trapping the aggregate betweenthe top and bottom surface, and the foil forming the grip layer 22.

A traction mat system 10 can comprise a press 12, at least one moldwherein the at least one mold can be a upper mold 16 and a lower mold34. The traction mat system 10 can further comprise a stand 38 having atleast one support, a trolley 28, at least one tension roller wherein theat least one tension roller can be a top tension roller 14 and a bottomtension roller 30, and a foil sheet 40 material and/or an aggregatematerial (not shown) that can form a grip layer wherein the grip layercan be put on the top side, bottom side, or both top side and bottomside. The stand 38 and the press 12 can be connected together by the atleast one support 24 wherein the supports can be beams, rods, tubularsteel, I-beam, box beam or the like which can be attached to both thestand and the press by at least one fastener. The foil sheet 22, 40 canbe in a roll or a single sheet which can be attached to the at least onetension roller 14, 30 and can be stretched tight across the at least onemold 16, 34, the press 12, and/or trolley 28, wherein the tension rollercan hold the foil sheet tight and on the opposing side a tension supportwherein the at least one tension support can be a top tension support 20and a bottom tension support 32. The press 12 and the at least one molds16, 34 can form the mat 18 and through some combination of heat andpressure the foil sheet 22, 40 can be integrated into the surface of themat forming the grip layer on the bottom surface and/or top surface. Incertain embodiments the upper mold 16, or bottom mold 34 and top tensionroller 14 or bottom tension roller 30, and top tension support 20 orbottom tension support 32 can be omitted. The at least one mold 16, 34may also have a texture incorporated within at least one surface of themold to give the mat traction promoting elements that extend beyond theplane of the mat surface to improve traction.

In embodiments, the temperature and pressure of the press 12 can becontrolled to allow the at least one foil sheet 22, 40 to adhere to orbe combined with the mat material but maintain the texture of the foilsheet. The at least one tension rollers 14, 30 can be attached to thepress 12, and/or the trolley 28 and can keep the foil sheets 22, 40tight as the mold's material is pressed forming the mat's shape with thetextured surface. In certain embodiments, the press 12 can hold theupper mold 16 and the trolley 28 can hold the lower mold 34 wherein whenthe press is lowered the mat material can be injected into or the matmaterial can be placed onto the lower mold 34 or between the molds andthe press can bring the molds together, at a specific heat and pressureto form the mat material into a specified shape with a textured surfaceformed into one of the mat's sides preferably the at least the topsurface and/or the bottom surface of the mat. The press 12 and molds canhave a heat source that heats up the molds when compressed togetherforming the mat 18 with a grip layer integrated within it. In certainembodiments, the foil sheet 22, 40 can be a separate operation from themolding process or the foil sheet can be integrated within the sameoperation as the mat forming process. The trolley 28 can move the lowermold 34 into place and locked into position, the upper mold 16 can belowered down onto the lower mold 34 and then compressed to form the mat18 with the integrated grip layer.

Referring to FIG. 2a , a side view of an embodiment of an aggregatelayer of a traction mat system and a method of manufacturing. The mat 18may have traction promoting elements already formed before thisoperation or traction promoting elements that can be formed within thisoperation, by, for example, impressions in by the roller 106 that canallow some of the mat material to extend beyond the plane of the matwhen the mat is pressed between the trolley 28 and the roller 106. Thetrolley 28 or a dispenser 102 can move the mat 18 along an axis wherethe aggregate material 104 can be dispensed from the dispenser. Thedispenser 102 can evenly or unevenly dispenses the aggregate 104 ontothe surfaces of the mat 18. The roller 106 can be lowered onto the mat18 and can compress the aggregate 104 material into the mat top and/orbottom surfaces. In certain embodiments, a roller can be heated and canheat up the mat 18 material as it rolls over the aggregate 104 materialand the mat surface. The aggregate material 104 can be high a strengthplastic or a granular element such as high-density polyethylene,low-density polyethylene, sand, wire, rubber, steel cords, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 2b , a side view of another embodiment of layingaggregate and foil sheet of a traction mat system and a method ofmanufacturing thereof. A mat 18 can be formed before this operation orcan be formed within this operation, wherein the trolley 28 can move themat 18 along an axis where the aggregate material 104 is dispensed froma dispenser 102. The dispenser 102 can evenly or unevenly dispense theaggregate material 104 onto the surfaces of the mat 18. The roller 30can be lowered onto the mat 18 and can compress the aggregate material104 into the mat surface, in certain embodiments this step can beomitted. Alternatively, the foil sheet 40 can be placed on the surfacesof the mat and then the press 12 can lower onto the mat 18 and foilsheet and compress the foil sheet and any aggregate material 104 ontoand/or into the mat.

Referring to FIG. 3A-3F, shows different embodiments of a traction matsystem and a method of manufacturing. At 3A, the foil sheet 40 oraggregate 104 can be compressed or combined to one or more surfaces ofthe mat 18. At 3B, the foil sheet 40 can be placed over the aggregatematerial 104 which can be compressed or combined with at least onesurface of the mat 18. At 3C, the aggregate material 104 can be placedover the foil sheet 40 which can be compressed or combined to one ormore surfaces of the mat 18. At 3D, the aggregate material 104 and/orfoil sheet 40 can be compressed or combined to two or more surfaces ofthe mat 18. At 3E, the foil sheet 40 can be place over the aggregate 104and then can be compressed or combined to two or more surfaces of themat 18. At 3F, the aggregate material 104 can be placed over the foilsheet 40 then it can be compressed or combined to two or more surfacesof the mat 18. The foil sheet 40 and/or the aggregate material 104 canbe interchanged within each operation, and one or the other can beomitted from each operation creating a solid textured surface.

Referring to FIG. 4A-4D, shows different examples of mats in which thefoil sheet and/or aggregate can be adhered to or combined with differenttypes of mats, and mat surfaces. A current mat system can have a moldedstructure 34 that can be combined with the foil sheet 40, and/or theaggregate material 104 on both its top surface and bottom surface to addextra traction to the surfaces.

Referring to FIG. 5A-5D, shows examples of different type of materialsand textures or shapes that can be pressed into and/or integrated withinthe mat surfaces.

Referring to FIG. 6, the method of manufacturing a traction matcomprising at step 602 providing a stand connected to a press by atleast one support and moving a trolley that supports at least one moldhaving a raised pattern between the stand, and into and/or beneath thepress. The raised pattern can be a foil sheet which can comprise placinga foil sheet, above or below the mat in a press and compressing the foilsheet and mat to contour the mat and adhere or combine the foil sheet tothe mat material. The foil sheet can be held into position by atensioner or some other type of apparatus on the machine. At step 604,placing a mat material in the mold which can be for example high-densitypolyethylene, or other high strength plastics. At step 606, placing agrip layer composed of at least one foil sheet and/or an aggregate layerover the mat. At step 608, pressing the press to the mold forming thefoil sheet or aggregate material onto the mat material.

In another embodiment, an aggregate can be placed and/or dispersedevenly on a foil sheet face opposite the surface of the foil sheetcontacting the mat material, or in between the mat material and the foilsheet. The foil sheet and the aggregate can be pressed to adhere orcombine the mat material, the foil sheet, and the aggregate into a matwith contours and a textured surface. In other embodiments a second moldcan be attached to the press wherein a grip layer can be placed over thesurface of the mat and a second grip layer can be placed over a secondsurface of the mat. The aggregate material can be placed on and/ordispersed evenly, in a pattern, or randomly on finished mat surface(s).The aggregate material can be pressed, rolled or forced into thefinished mat tread surface(s) and the excessive/loose aggregate can beremoved from the mat and reused for future mats.

It is to be understood that although aspects of the presentspecification are highlighted by referring to specific embodiments, oneskilled in the art will readily appreciate that these disclosedembodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the subjectmatter disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that thedisclosed subject matter is in no way limited to a particularmethodology, protocol, and/or reagent, etc., described herein. As such,various modifications or changes to or alternative configurations of thedisclosed subject matter can be made in accordance with the teachingsherein without departing from the spirit of the present specification.Lastly, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describingparticular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope ofthe present disclosure, which is defined solely by the claims.Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited tothose precisely as shown and described.

Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode knownto the inventors for carrying out the methods and devices describedherein. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading theforegoing description. Accordingly, this disclosure includes allmodifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in theclaims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, anycombination of the above-described embodiments in all possiblevariations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

We claim:
 1. A traction mat system comprising: a mat contoured with atleast one raised pattern on at least one surface of the mat and a griplayer on at least one of the at least one surface.
 2. The traction matsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface is a bottom surfaceor a top surface.
 3. The traction mat system of claim 1, wherein thegrip layer is a textured material foil sheet or an aggregate materialwherein the aggregate material is pressed into at least one surface ofthe mat.
 4. The traction mat system of claim 1, wherein the mat has atop surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface and the bottomsurface are mirror copies of each other.
 5. The traction mat system ofclaim 1, wherein the grip layer is the same material as the mat.
 6. Thetraction mat system of claim 3, wherein the mat is composed of a matmaterial and wherein the aggregate material is at least one of the sameas the mat material, or a high strength plastic particles or metalparticles.
 7. A method of manufacturing a traction mat systemcomprising: providing a stand connected to a press by at least onesupport and moving a trolley that supports at least one mold having araised pattern between the stand and beneath the press; placing a matmaterial in the mold; placing a grip layer composed of at least one of afoil sheet and an aggregate layer over the mat; and heating and pressingthe press to the mold forming the foil sheet or aggregate material ontothe mat material.
 8. The traction mat system of claim 7, comprising asecond mold attached to the press.
 9. The traction mat system of claim7, wherein the grip layer is placed over a surface of the mat and asecond grip layer is placed over a second surface of the mat.
 10. Thetraction mat system of claim 9, wherein the grip layer is pressed intoor integrated in the surface of the mat and the second surface of themat.